Port of Kiel expands cruise passenger handling capacities
The building construction of the second Ostseekai terminal building for cruise passengers is about to start. Kiel’s Lord Mayor Dr Ulf Kämpfer, Town Councillor for Urban Development Doris Grondke, PORT OF KIEL Managing Director Dr Dirk Claus as well as the architects Christoph Roselius and Ralf Dieter Ladwig jointly laid the foundation for the new building on 27th November.
Lord Mayor Dr Ulf Kämpfer: “May the new terminal be a place of anticipation of the cruise to be started for any passenger. It will provide first class handling quality and strengthen Kiel’s position in this contested market at the same time.” Up to now, two cruise ships were handled at one Ostseekai terminal, however, in the future there will be a dedicated building for each ship. PORT OF KIEL-Managing Director Dr Dirk Claus: „One terminal for each berth means optimum service for shipping companies and passengers alike. We adapt our capacities to the increasing number of passengers and the ever growing size of the ships.”
The extension, which is an investment of 9 million Euro for the port of Kiel, will be taken into operation in the coming season.
The two-storey building of 3,700 m² has been designed by the consortium “Terminalgebäude Liegeplatz 28 GbR” consisting of eins:eins Architekten Hillenkamp & Roselius and the Architect’s Office Ladwig.
Christoph Roselius: „I am very happy that through the close cooperation between city and port such a prominent draft could be created for this important place on the fjord.”
The façade of the new building takes up existing features and its transparency will be captivating due to its large glass surface. The two buildings form a V-shaped place of reception for arriving guests. From here, travellers will enter the terminal and visitors can mount the outside staircase to the panorama terrace.
Town Councillor Doris Grondke: “A high-class architecture was important to us as this terminal will be the first and also the last point of contact with Kiel for many passengers. At the same time, we also wanted to take the people to the waterfront and enable them to experience the unique location of the State Capital City. The panorama terrace is the key: direct access to the waterfront with due regard to all the safety regulations of the port.”
The second terminal is going to be built at the northern side of the existing building and forming and ensemble with the latter. The functional features of the new building are adapted from the existing one. While luggage handling can be found on the ground floor, the top floor is for passengers and the check-in processes. A gangway leads the travellers directly on board.
Source: Port of Kiel ( More information about the port of Kiel at CruiseMapper)